by Paul White, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul White, USA TODAY Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. --- A trade of David Price would â?? quite possibly will - be the highlight deal of baseball's offseason, but today and in years to come, none of the game's iconic young stars should feel safe.

Mike Trout? Stephen Strasburg? Bryce Harper? Yasiel Puig? There's a case to be made for trading any of them â?? a legitimate and realistic case.

Are deals likely? Of course not.

And the mere suggestion â?? one USA TODAY Sports ran by several agents and team executives at this week's winter meetings - initially makes those baseball insiders as aghast as fans of the 20-something superstars and their teams.

"Mike Trout is the single most significant asset in baseball right now," says one longtime agent without a vested interest in Trout or any of the others. "Ability, character, the likelihood of maintaining his level of play."

But that's exactly the combination that makes Trout, 22, a franchise-changer beyond merely taking his talent to the field. And why the surveyed baseball folks almost unanimously slipped into debates about the merits of the players and the conundrum they create.

As one president of a playoff club noted, there is an increasing appreciation for the value of young players, and locking up your own brings a degree of certainty.

But what if that value is greater in replenishing your organization?

Beyond Trout, this crop of stars might be unprecedented in talent, market value and appeal.

We explore the case for trades that could shake the baseball world:

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MIKE TROUT

For the record, Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto told the Los Angeles Times this week how long talks would last should a team inquire about Trout.

"Milliseconds," Dipoto said. And that was before he traded Mark Trumbo out of the Angels outfield mix to Arizona on Tuesday, at least partially easing the starting rotation gaps keeping the Angels from contending again in the AL West.

But even if new pitchers Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs are all Dipoto hopes, the discussion is irrelevant unless Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton again become all owner Arte Moreno thought he bought.

Which leads us to the most difficult part of the Anaheim equation: Trout has become the face of the franchise while the higher-priced Pujols and Hamilton are, for now, closer to albatrosses than All-Stars.

A certain gallows humor often accompanies discussions of Trout's future. As with Harper, there's often the added clause, "And then he signs with the Yankees."

That would be after the 2017 season for Trout, when the New Jersey native would be eligible for free agency. That's the same time Hamilton's then-$32.4 million salary comes off the books. But Pujols' $55 million over two seasons will remain.

Trout will turn 26 then and, even if his production doesn't follow the normal upside of the bell curve, a $400 million package could actually be a ballpark estimate.

Said one agent, "I'd go to the Angels right now and say we'd sign an extension for 10 years, $200 million. â?¦ Wait, I might start talking at 250 to end up at 200."

That might be a bargain for the Angels, who control Trout for four years and will pay about $50 million for three arbitration-eligible seasons.

One problem: The Pujols and Hamilton deals create luxury tax implications for the Angels were they to preemptively lavish $20 million or more annually on Trout. They already have more than $130 million committed for 2014, then $117 million and $112 million in '15 and '16.

Locking up Trout long-term could be just as challenging as fielding a championship-caliber club around him. Add in a farm system remarkably devoid of potential impact talent and the case builds for a trade.

The bigger challenge: finding a trade partner with the talent to make the deal palatable - for the team and a presumably irate fan base.

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STEPHEN STRASBURG

The Nationals' situation â?? call it a luxury for purposes of this discussion â?? is having two special players drafted first overall in consecutive years.

Though the Lerner family ownership has shown a willingness to step up financially as the team contends, a challenge looms in paydays coming due as Strasburg and Harper reach â?? or even approach â?? free agency. Strasburg can walk after the 2016 season, Harper two years later. Both are represented by Scott Boras, who usually steers clients toward free agency.

And these clients' combined free agent value could approach $400 million. That's a lot for even the most dedicated owners.

If Price, a No. 1 pick with a Cy Young Award to his credit, can be on the market, it's hardly a stretch to put Strasburg there. He has three years of club control, one more than Price, and has had Tommy John surgery.

Despite Harper's wall-crashingstyle, he's probably less of a long-term injury risk than Strasburg, a star talent who hasn't been so consistently stellar to make any such consideration ludicrous.

Plus, if there's one place Washington has depth, it's starting pitching. Gio Gonzalez is under contract through 2016 with a 2017 option. A Strasburg blockbuster could add more to the pipeline and free money for 2015 impending free agents Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister.

And there's the timing. If an impending Nationals contract is to be dodged, it's Strasburg's, especially because the decision must be made at least a year before Jayson Werth's $127 million deal comes off the books. Coming to that crossroad sooner also restocks a farm system general manager Mike Rizzo admits has been depleted by trades.

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YASIEL PUIG

There's an argument to be made for trading any of the Dodgers' outfielders: Puig, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier or Carl Crawford, though Crawford is the least likely from a contract vs. expected value standpoint.

Puig's overzealous gaffes on the field are well documented. But can they be eliminated or at least reduced through maturity and increased comfort in the major leagues and the USA?

The risk for prospect-rich, cash-poor clubs is minimal: Puig will make an average of $6.7 million over the next five years, a bargain for a player of his talent.

The Dodgers have usurped from the Yankees the title of team most likely to buy whatever they want. Still, even those Yankees are learning how a gutted farm system can inhibit progress. If the Dodgers believe in a need to restock, isn't it better to move Puig at $1.20 on the dollar than Kemp and his recent spate of injuries at 80 cents?

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WHO COULD DO A DEAL

Not all teams are qualified to trade for an iconic young player. A strong collection of mostly young talent is the first pre-requisite. Then comes the willingness and ability to work out a contract with the star acquisition so he'll stay with his new team long enough to make the deal worthwhile.

Some teams currently best-equipped to make a trade, but it's often a long way from could to would:

Red Sox: In the discussion for best farm system right now, several key prospects are major league ready, such as Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and pitchers for whom there's no room in the rotation. Of course, Boston can pay.

Cardinals: Power arms and outfield stud Oscar Taveras are a nice start. Maybe they could bid for David Price without including Michael Wacha, but going for one of these guys might put him in the mix.

Cubs: Arguably the deepest farm system but their best prospects aren't quite major league ready, a deterrent if the team trading the star feels the need to show its fans a recognizable name or two in the package.

Mets: A rapidly improving farm system that includes plenty of pitching. If ownership is comfortable the bank account has recovered from Bernie Madoff, what an opportunity to convince fans the Mets are a player again.

Astros: They've sold us their long-term building plan. But they've accumulated the talent to buy in. And don't forget Houston is a sizable market.

Mariners: They're all about making the big splash right now but might not have quite enough young talent to keep such a deal from being counter-productive.

Pirates: Only because they certainly have the talent at all levels of the organization and enough has bubbled up to the majors. No indication yet they'd spend to keep the new guy.